“Who’s doing your birthday party?” is joining the ranks of “Where do you vacation?” From pottery and jewelry making to reptiles and paintball, the birthday party has evolved to a billion dollar business.
This summer I thought it prudent to keep my son’s party at our house. I entertained ten kids with a scavenger hunt, Nerf gun target practice, water balloons and the 9’x9’ bounce house that we own. It was madness. My limbs and yard were ravaged by the time I sent them on their merry way. One of the moms that I’m friends with started telling me about another party her son went to where the party favor was a hockey jersey. A hockey jersey!
There was a presentation of exotic animals at my local library this week. A very animated zoo handler presented half dozen critters, reptiles and predators. This guy was super entertaining. My kid was laughing his face off. But I noticed at the beginning of the program the handler told the kids that they wouldn’t get to touch any animals. Touching was only done at birthday parties. Talk about bait & hook! Every kid wanted to pet the lemur and hold the python.
Let’s take a look at this guy’s business model. He runs a private zoo, and charges admission. Standard. He also does outreach programs. Makes sense. Then he does events such as festivals, company picnics, theme-setters, movie events, birthday parties and premieres. Now this is where he goes viral. Once you get paid to get in front of someone else’s audience, you can distribute your direct marketing and fill up next years calendar.
My son is already begging me to have bunch of lizards and icky things at his birthday next summer. Do you really think my scavenger hunt in the backyard can compete with a lynx?
A friend of mine is in the event planning business. When we got together this fall she said that weddings, birthdays and bar/bat mitzvahs are keeping her going through the recession. Parents are not skimping on their kids. This is where the budget compromise stops: kids.
So, bottom line, if business is slow or not meeting cash flow expectations, explore the birthday party route. It’s not just for clowns and magicians. Farmers, artists, actors, craftsman, singers, gymnasts and cosmetologists are all expanding into this lucrative arena.
Does your business have party potential?
